A corruption inquiry has heard a phone tap of a dumped former labor candidate threatening "to go for" a council general manager over pornography in his laptop.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry today played a secretly recorded phone call between Ryde councillor Jeffrey Salvestro-Martin and Mayor Ivan Petch, recorded in January this year.

In the conversation, the Mayor says he has a CD of pornographic material from a laptop issued to the council's general manager, John Neish.

The inquiry has heard Mr Petch deliberately leaked the information to the media as part of a campaign to get rid of Mr Neish, who supported a controversial local redevelopment.

In the phone call, Mr Salvestro-Martin questions if the CD was genuine.

"There's no holds barred anymore. I'm going for the guy," Mr Slavestro-Martin said in the call.

"He's offended my reputation in every respect".

Mr Salvestro-Martin says the CD needed to be sent to the ICAC, "if it's serious, if it's genuine."

He's heard telling the Mayor: "I think you need to reveal that to the community."

Under questioning at the ICAC today, Mr Salvestro-Martin said he did not think it was appropriate to give the CD to the media but did not tell Mr Petch that.

Mr Salvestro-Martin was to stand as Labor's candidate for the federal seat of Bennelong at the election, but he was disendorsed earlier this week.

The ICAC has previously heard there is no suggestion that John Neish did anything illegal or corrupt.